Strategic Plan Goals and Initiatives

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Goal 1: Undergraduate Student Success

Goal 1: Provide student-centered, high-quality curricular, co-curricular, and integrated living-learning undergraduate experiences focused on serving the Northland, Minnesota, the Midwest, and connecting to the world. (MPACT Commitment 1: Student Success)
 

  • 1.1. Establish comprehensive enrollment management strategy. (MPact 1.1)
  • 1.2. Improve retention and graduation rates while closing gaps. (MPact1.1)
    • Increase 4-year graduation rate by 2025 (MPact)
    • Increase 6-year graduation rate by 2025 (MPact)
    • Reduce gap between 4-year and 6-year graduation rates of Pell-eligible and non-Pell eligible students by 50% by 2025 (MPact)
    • Increase freshman to sophomore retention rate by 2025 (MPact)
  • 1.3. Expand scholarship opportunities. (MPact 1.1)
    • Increase undergraduate institutional gift aid for degree-seeking students by 10% by 2025 (MPact)
  • 1.4. Establish a holistic approach to student wellness. (MPact 1.2) 
    • Improve students' self-reported wellness indicators (MPact) 
  • 1.5. Develop and implement a campus plan to increase international educational experiences. (UMD)
    • Completed plan (UMD)
    • Increase international degree-seeking enrollment (UMD)
  • 1.6. Develop additional living-learning communities between academic colleges and residential life. (UMD)
    • # of communities (UMD)
    • # of students in the communities (UMD)
  • 1.7. Establish and implement a campus-wide experiential learning plan based on high-impact practices. (UMD)
    • Completed plan (UMD)
    • Increase participation in HIP's for first-year and senior students (UMD)

Goal 2: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice

Goal 2: Advance equity, diversity, inclusiveness, and social justice within the campus community. (MPACT Commitment 4: Community & Belonging)
 

  • 2.1. Recruit diverse students, faculty, and staff. (MPact 4.1)
    • Increase % of BIPOC freshman students; % of underrepresented (ethnicity) freshman students (MPact)
    • Increase % of BIPOC transfer students; % of underrepresented (ethnicity) transfer students (UMD)
    • Increase % of BIPOC incoming graduate students; % of underrepresented (ethnicity) incoming graduate students (MPact)
    • Increase % of BIPOC faculty hired; % of underrepresented (ethnicity) faculty hired (MPact)
    • Increase % of BIPOC staff hired; % of underrepresented (ethnicity) staff hired (MPact)
  • 2.2. Retain diverse students, faculty, and staff. (MPact 4.1)
    • Increase retention of % of BIPOC students; % of underrepresented (ethnicity) students (MPact)
    • Increase retention of % of BIPOC faculty; % of underrepresented (ethnicity) faculty (MPact)
    • Increase retention of % of BIPOC staff; % of underrepresented (ethnicity) staff (MPact)
  • 2.3. Reduce disparities among underrepresented groups. (MPact 4.1)
    • Decrease 4-year and 6-year graduation gaps between white and BIPOC students (MPact)
    • Reduce disparities in faculty promotion rates (MPact)
  • 2.4. Measure and address campus stakeholder survey data. (MPact 4.2 adaptation)
    • Increase percentage of students with a favorable sense of belonging (MPact) 
    • Increase commitment and dedication measure in employee engagement survey (MPact)
  • 2.5. Increase philanthropic and university support for diverse groups of students and for campus DEI initiatives. (UMD)
    • Increase # scholarships available for diverse groups of students (UMD)
    • Increase $ scholarships available for diverse groups of students (UMD)
    • Increase $ of funds available for campus DEI initiatives (UMD)
  • 2.6. Increase and enhance the design, delivery, and support of curricular and co-curricular educational experiences involving diversity, equity, and inclusion. (UMD)
    • Increase scores on selected DEI items from the National Survey of Student Engagement (UMD) 

Goal 3: Graduate Student Success

Goal 3: Deliver high-quality graduate-degree programs to foster students’ advanced academic and professional development. (MPACT Commitment 1: Student Success)
 

  • 3.1. Establish comprehensive graduate enrollment management strategy. (MPact 1.1)
    • Updated plan (UMD)
    • Meet graduate enrollment goal (UMD)
  • 3.2. Enhance the educational experience for graduate students. (UMD)
    • Increase gradSERU Overall Satisfaction (unweighted average of 14 items) (UMD)

Goal 4: Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activities

Goal 4: Advance UMD’s regional, national, and international reputation for high-quality and impactful research, scholarly, and creative activities. (MPACT Commitment 2: Discovery, Innovation & Impact)

  • 4.1. Increase multidisciplinary opportunities in research. (MPact 2.2)
    • Increase number of multidisciplinary grants each year (MPact)
  • 4.2. Increase year-over-year funding growth for research and industry-sponsored awards. (MPact 2.1)
    • Growth for research awards of 5% per year for the next 5 years (MPact)
  • 4.3. Develop an integrated campus-wide external communication plan around research, scholarship, and creative activities. (UMD)
    • Completed plan (UMD)

Goal 5: Public Engagement

Goal 5: Advance UMD’s profile as an intentional and pivotal partner for Duluth, the Northland, and Minnesota.  (MPACT Commitment 3: MNtersections)

  • 5.1. Enhance Carnegie Community Engagement designation. (MPact 2.3)
    • Achieve Carnegie Community Engagement designation by 2025 (MPact)
  • 5.2. Increase state partnership funding. (MPact 2.3)
    • Increase state-sponsored research (MPact)
  • 5.3. Develop and deploy new techniques and partnerships for smart farming and sustainable food supplies, and natural resources. (MPact 3.3)
    • Increase number of food, ag-tech, and natural resource-related disclosures (MPact)
    • Actively participate in industry and government food, ag, and natural-resource related initiatives and partnerships (MPact)
  • 5.4. Enhance opportunities for new businesses and start-ups, corporate partnerships, and technology commercialization. (MPact 2.2)  
    • Grow start-ups per year by 2025 (MPact)
    • Increase $ of industry-sponsored awards (MPact)

Goal 6: Sustainability

Goal 6: Establish and maintain effective and sustainable operations across all areas of the institution.  (MPACT Commitment 5: Fiscal Stewardship)

  • 6.1. Engage in continuous improvement practices to promote efficiency in all aspects of operations (MPact 5.4)
    • Annual reporting of continuous improvement practices (MPact) 
  • 6.2. Reduce student debt. (MPact 5.1)
    • Ensure average student debt for those who borrow is under the national average by at least $2,500 (MPact)
  • 6.3. Assess and improve campus safety protocols and organizational structure. (MPact 5.4)
    • Increase student perceptions of campus safety and security as reported through the Student Satisfaction Inventory (UMD)
  • 6.4. Move and track progress toward a 50% reduction in campus greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 toward our Second Nature 2050 carbon neutrality commitment. (UMD)
    • Establish next generation climate action plan by 2023 (MPact)
    • Greenhouse gas emissions (UMD)
  • 6.5. Establish new long-term physical master plan that serves our community and is updated regularly. (MPact 5.3)
    • Update long-term physical master plan (MPact)